Once a month our Home-Ed group meet up for a craft session. This months session was an African theme. There is no set agenda, we pick a theme and then each person is free to interpret that theme as they wish.
One of our friends brough maps with pictures of all the different flags, which some of the children decided to make for themselves. Kiddo, started to make his version of the South African flag, then decided to just freestyle instead...

(Flag minus its stick)

He also made a lovley African inspired necklace

(A work in progress, and an eerie shot of Kiddo's arm...)

and I (yes, I , not one to miss a chance for a craft activity) made a lion. I am not embarrassed to admit that I am fair proud of my wee lion, tee hee.

It was a busy session today with a couple of new families and other HE friends who hadn't been to our craft meet before. I don't know if it was something in the air, or that the kids haven't had a craft meet in a couple of months (couldn't get the hall last month), or if its because they are getting older and have more energy, but regardless, it was kinda wild!
Once the initial craft session was finished with, the usual running around and playing started. But, oh my goodness! I can't relax during the running around bit, as more often than not, if I hear another child crying, its due to having been hit/pushed or played with too hard, by Kiddo! Even when its not been him, I automatically think, "what's he done?". Am constantly on high alert, and my voice rings out through the hall like a fishwife "KIDDO! NO!" "Kiddo, gently please!". This session was just plain ridiculous. I worry about becoming that family, that when we walk in the door, others think "oh no, they're here".
Kiddo and I regularly chat about appropriate and acceptable behaviour, other people's personal space and boundaries, but while it appears to all have been fully understood and has sunk in, when put in a situation, all is forgotten and its like a primal survival of the fittest/loudest.
Kiddo is a very rigid and inflexible thinker with low tolerance levels. Combine this with lots of other children of the same age and a little younger/older, and its always a delicate balance. The key for me is deciding when enough is enough, and taking him out - either home or to another destination altogether. 2 hours was the limit this time, then off to the park to blow off steam and burn off energy. Until the sky unloaded onto our unjacketed selves. Ordinarily I would have been happy to stay in the rain without a jacket, and it was still warm, but he was having difficulty with taking turns on the slide and I could see the aggression rising - time for home.
Hopefully, the next time will be better ( I tell myself everytime)
x